The start of my four-flight trip to Ushuaia was as good as anyone could hope for. Getting to the SFO airport was easy, through security -- a breeze. The sunrise was lovely and to top it off, we flew by a rainbow. That's right, my trip kicked off with rainbows! Magic.

Golden sunrise and rainbows over SFO

My seat mate was also on the same flight plan to Ushuaia and also embarking to Antarctica (different ship than me, though). We chatted over planning, ship options, and photos and hung out during layovers. It was nice to have the same friendly encounter after each landing.

The whole journey was fine. Long and draining, but smooth and went on without a hitch. In sum, here's what I did:

SFO - LAX: 1.5hrs

LAX - PTY: 6hrs

PTY - EZE: 7.5hrs

EZE - USH: 3hrs

I'm glad that's over.

I'm now in Ushuaia where I will relax and explore for a few days before boarding the ship to Antarctica.

It will take me 23 hours and 45 minutes to get to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. It will take me 23 hours and 45 minutes just to get to the starting point for my trip to Antarctica. That's four flights from San Francisco and three flights back home. The journey is long, there are many legs, and I'm not in love with flying. But, that's what it takes, and that's what I'll do - all for the spirit of adventure.